Instrument for measuring time in music



Dec. 3, 1940. F. J. NICOLA INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING TIME IN MUSIC FiledMay 18, 1940 fie. 3.

4 X iw ,mW/#W nf? Patented Dec. 3, 1940 PATENT OFFICE INSTRUMENT FORMEASURING TIME IN MUSIC ForrestJ. Nicola, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 18, 1940, `Serial No. 335,970

2 Claims.

My invention relates to instruments for measuring time in music andsimilar devices.

My invention relates more particularly to a device of this type that iscapable of manual operation by the music instructor and which may beused in connection with the teaching of piano playing or otherinstruments to effect the proper timing of the music.

The Metronome which is in popular use today and has been used for a longperiod of time for teaching the proper timing in music, is one of theprincipal devices of this type that is in use. As is well known to thoseskilled in the art the metronome is a device which has a pendulum actionand swings to and fro, theA timing of the device depending upon theposition of a weight on the pendulum. This instrument is also usuallyprovided with a scale so that the timing of the same can be accuratelydetermined.

In teaching pupils the timing of various pieces of music to be played ona piano or other instrument, the instructor frequently desires to changethe timing, depending upon the particular passages to be played. Withthe metronome, this can not be done except by stopping and resetting thedevice for a diiierent tempo.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a manually or pedallyoperated instrument by which a music instructor or student can audiblysignal the exact time in which to play any particular passage to music.With this device the instructor or student can make audible the up beatas well as the down beat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this typewhich is so constructed that it can be easily operated by the foot.

A further obiect of the invention is to provid:` a device of the typedescribed that is easily cheaply constructed, contains few working parts40 and is not liable to become broken or out of order in spite of longand continued usage.

A further object of the invention is to provide an instrument formeasuring the time in music which is capable of operation by the foot ofan instructor in music or the leader of an orchestra, whereby the timein which the music being played can be changed and an audible signalgiven to either pupils or members of a band.

Other objects and advantages will be more ap parent from the followingdescription wherein reference is had to the accompanying sheet ofdrawings, upon which Fig. l is a plan view of my improved instruV ment;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View thereof taken generally on the lines2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational View of the same, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the clapper unit.

In the embodiment of the invention which I have shown in the drawing, Iprovide a base III having the at lower wall I2 and the upper slopingwall I4. I also provide a cut-out portion I6 adjacent the left end ofthe same and provide a pair of slots I8 at the upper end of the cut-outportion I6. Within these slots I have positioned a clapper unit 20 whichmay be of the kind that is well known and includes a sheet metal bodyportion 22 and a flexible member' or plate 24 that is provided with acircular depressed portion 23 so that as the plate 24 is flexed back andforth the device emits a clacking sound by reason of the snapping backand forth of the metal in the portion 26.

At the right end of the base III I have positioned a rod 30 between theopposite walls 32 and 34 of the base. The rod 30 may be utilized as abearing for a lever 36 which is mounted thereon by means of a bossportion 38. The lever 36 may be of any desired shape or as shown and isadapted to extend upwardly to a point adjacent the opposite end of thetop wall I4 of the base II). I also pro- Vide a pair of downwardlydepending wing portions 40 which lie upon opposite sides of the flexibleplate 24 of the clapper.

In operation, the device may be in position on the oor as shown in Fig.2, with the end of the exible plate 24 holding the lever or pedal '36 inan upright position. By pressing down with the foot or the hand on thelever 26, the plate 24 will be depressed and a clacking noise produced.By releasing pressure on the lever 36, the plate 24, which is of aspring material, will raise the lever and return it to the positionshown in Fig. 2, at the same time making the same clacking sound. Bythis action, both the up and the down beat of the music is audiblyindicated.

Thus with the above construction it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that I have provided a simple instrument for measuring time andone which is under the direct supervision and control of a teacher ofmusic. It will be obvious that at any time the teacher desires tolchange the time at which a piece is being played, the same is easilyeffected by simply increasing or decreasing the speed at which he tapsupon the lever 36.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I do notWish to limit myself to the exact details shown; the shape,

. size or material of which the instrument is constructed is obviouslynot material to the invention. Neitherdo I wish to be limited to the useof the clacker device which I have described; rather, any conceivableconstruction which may be adapted for the purpose falls within the scopeof this invention. I do not wish to be limited in any particular;rather, what I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States ISI 1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a basemember having a at bottom, inwardly tapered side walls and an upwardlysloping top surface, a` generally rectangular opening through the basefrom top to bottom, an additional downwardly facing opening or pocket atthe thickest end of said base, said opening having an upwardly taperedceiling, a clapper member having its rigid portion secured in saidopening against said ceiling and its flexible portion extending upwardlytherefrom through said rectangular opening and a flat lever memberpivoted on said base member at the end opposite to the clapper memberand extended forward overlying the extended flexible portion of saidclapper member.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising a base member having aflat bottom, inwardly tapered side walls and an upwardly sloping topsurface, a generally rectangular opening through the base from top tobottom, an additional downwardly facingopening or pocket at the thickestend of said base, said opening having an upwardly tapered ceiling, aclapper member having its rigid portion secured in said opening againstsaid ceiling and its flexible portion extending upwardly therefromthrough said rectangular opening and a flat lever member pivoted on saidbase member at the end opposite to the clapper member and extendedforward overlying the extended flexible portion of said clapper member,said lever member having downwardly extended side walls positioned uponopposite sides of said clapper member.

FORREST J. NICOLA.

